Arbutus unedo 12ltr pot

Arbutus unedo — 12ltr Pot

Native to Ireland's south-west as well as the Mediterranean, Arbutus unedo — the strawberry tree — is a genuinely unusual and rewarding evergreen for the garden. Rough, shredding red-brown bark and glossy, leathery dark green leaves provide interest all year, while clusters of small, urn-shaped white flowers, sometimes tinged pink, open in autumn at the same time as the previous year's strawberry-like red fruits ripen — an eye-catching display of flower and fruit together that few other trees can offer. The fruits are technically edible and used for jams and liqueurs abroad, but in the UK they're generally grown for their ornamental value rather than eating.

A spreading, shrubby evergreen tree, Arbutus unedo makes an excellent year-round specimen for a sheltered, sunny spot, and its late flowering provides a valuable late-season nectar source for bees when little else is in bloom. It holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit.

Grow in full sun, in well-drained soil — this species tolerates loam, sand and chalk, making it a good option even on alkaline ground, unlike many other evergreens. It needs shelter from cold, drying winds, and young plants can be frost tender, so some winter protection is worthwhile in the first few years; established trees are hardy (RHS H5) and reasonably drought-tolerant once settled in. For the southwest, it is an excellent coastal tree.

Each tree is hand-selected before dispatch, supplied in a 12-litre pot ready for planting straight into its final position.